Improvement in machines for working waste, fibrous material



' frSiieets Sheet i. i. K. PROCTDB. Machines for Working Waste Fibrous Material, 81.0. .NO. 139,609.v Patented June 3,1873.

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Machines for Working Waste Fibrous Material, 815. N0. 139,609 Patentedlun,e3,jl873.

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UNITED. STATES PATENT ,QZE IG I JOSIAH K. PROCTOR, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASsIG o or ONF-HALF HIS RIGHT TO CHARLES R. LINDS Y, oFs ME PLA I.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR WORKING WASTE, FIBROUS MATERlALjStc.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent Njo. 139,609, dated June 3, 1873; application filed I December -21, 1672.

To all whom it mag concern:

' Be it known that I, JOSIAH K. PROGTOR, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and valuable Machine for Working Fibrous Material; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a Side elevation of the machine, showing therelative arrangement of parts. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of all the parts with the exception of the frame. Fig.3 is a detached view, showing arrangement of teeth on main cylinder and workers. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the workers, and Fig. 5 is a similar section of the feed-rolls and stripper. Fig. 6 is a detached view, showing arrangement of teeth on the main cylinder, feed-rolls, and stripper.

Fig.7 is a cross and longitudinal section of the drawing-rollers. Fig. Sis a side elevation and two cross-sections of the bearings of the workers. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section of the main cylinder, andFigs. 10 and 11 are cross-sections of the same through the lines at as and y y, respectively, of Fig. 9. Figs. 12 and 13 are, respectively, a side view or elevation and plan of the grate.

Myinvention consists of a machinefor working fibrous material, and is designedto prepare woolen rags, hard waste, and other similar substances for carding.

Heretot'ore, in order to prepare woolen rags and other Similar hard substances for the carding-engine, they had to be, in most cases, subjected to the action of a rag-machine, which consists simply of a rapidly-moving cylinder, provided with straight pointed teeth. This machine tears the rags most thoroughly, but at the same time it breaks the fiber to a dis- The object ofrnymachine is to remedy this defect of the rag-picker- Instead, therefore, of a single cylinder provided with straight pointed teeth, and moving, with great velocity, 1 apply aslowly-moving cylinder surrounded partially by a series of workling-rollers, which disintegrate the stock in a most effective manner, with but slight injury to the fiber. I a .f

The several parts whichyenter into the eonstruction of my improved machine are as follows: A feeding-apron of ordinary construction; a series of toothed intersectingdrawingrollers, which draw the rags partially apart, these drawing'mollers being employed only when woolen rags are to be operated upon;

a set of feeding-rollers, bywhich the material 'is. presented to the main cylinder, and which receive said material from the drawing-rollers, or from the feeding-apron when said drawingrollers are not employed an intersecting stripper for clearingtheupper feed-roll, a main cylinder for carrying around the stock; a series of workers or intersecting rolls, ex tending partially around the main cylinder, whose purpose is to work and refine the stock; a fancy or roll for raising the stock; a doffer and comb, operated in the'usual manner; and a grate, which receives the stock not delivered to the dotfer, and which would oth-.

erwise fall upon the floor; all of which parts I are constructed as hereinafter described, and are mounted upon a suitable frame.

The feeding-apron, as suggested, is .con- Strncted in the usual manner, and arranged to. deliver the material tothe drawing-rollers, which consist of a series of any desired numher, six 7 or more, provided with intersecting teeth and combined in pairs, each pair, as the series approaches the feed-rolls, moving with greater velocity than the pair preceding, the re-. sult being that rags passed through these rolls are drawn apart or distended and presentedin this condition to the feed-rolls.

roll. The teeth on the lower roll are arranged to point in a direction opposite to that of the. direction of the movement of the roll,fland" hence move backward, asit Were,.to the main cylinder, thus preventing the material from being t'edtoo rapidly. The teeth on this roll are also coarse, and are arranged: with wide spaces between, so' asto prevent the stools from binding and'thereby breaking tlie fiberi I The teeth on the upperffeedroll. are made) finer than those of the lower roll in pursuance The feedrolls are two innumber, alower and an upper v of a principle which forms the predominant characteristic of the working or carding part of the machine; and this principle consists in constructing and arranging the rolls so that the stock, from the-moment it is received by the main cylinder until it is finally raised therefrom, is acted upon by a succession of teeth which grow finer as they proceed, thus gradually refining or, working into better condition the stock as it progresses around the cylinder. Above the upper feed-roll, and on the same stand therewith, is an intersecting stripper, the teeth of which, instead of as heretofore being made to point in a direction opposite to those on the main cylinder, are arranged topoint in the same direction as those on said cylinder, Thus arranged, the stripper presents a carding-surface to the main cylinder, clears the feed-roll, with which it intersects, and is itself in turn cleared by said roll. The stock, after it leaves the feed-roll stripper. passes to the workers, which consist of a series of rolls arranged in groups, the teeth of the rolls of each group being of the same grade, but each group having teeth of a finer grade than those which precede itthe object of this construction being to refine the stock in its passage around the main cylinder, as already mentioned. Each group consists of two or more rolls, two being sufficient to work well, though three or more may, if desired, be employed. The rolls of each group are arranged relatively like the top feed-roll and its stripper, thus presenting carding-surface to the main cylinder and operating to clear each other.

The object of making the workers in groups is twofold, and as follows: First, when the workers are clothed with wire wound in spiral grooves-a method of clothing to which I do not, however, confine myself-teeth of the same grade only can be made to work in intersection; consequently, if a change of grade be desired-a paramount feature of my construction, as already explained-a break must be made in the series at the point where the change occurs, leaving each group of rollers with teeth of a uniform size; secondly, it will be observed that the teeth of the workers hook against the teeth of the main cylinder, and hence the last worker will fill with the stock. As, however, its teeth intersect with those of its adjacent worker, it will be stripped and the material carried down or back toward the feedrolls. WVere the workers arranged in an unbroken series, the stock stripped from the last one would be carried all the way back to the feed-rolls and passed in with the unworked material.

The division of the series of workers into groups obviates this, as it will be observed that the stock cleared from each worker is can ried back by the adjacent roll, or first one of the group, to the main cylinder. The main cylinder is covered with saw-teeth out in wire,

arranged in a spiral groove, or in steel disks, fitted between iron collars or packing-rings.

\Vhen the disks are employed the cylinder is constructed in longitudinal sections, which are hinged at one end to a head turned'to a size, and at their other end are secured around a conical block screwed on the shaft of the cylinder.

By turning the block the cylinder may be contracted and expanded, as desired, thus facilitating the application of the disks and packingrings.

In order to press the disks and rings firmly together so as to prevent their turning, I provide a supplemental head furnished with projections or fingers, which intersect with Sllllli lar projections or fingers on the sections. This supplementary head I fill with disks and rings and place upon the shaft, so that its projections will enter the spaces between the fingers on the sections and force it on. \Vhen pressed as tight as desired it is made fast by a tapering key, which passes through its boss into the shaft of the cylinder. Following the workers are the fancy and dofler-rollers and doifer-comb, constructed and operating in the usual manner. Beneath the main cylinder isa grate, formed of two or more arches, with thin intermediate slats. The Object of this grate is to catch the stock not taken from the main cylinder by the dofi'er, which would otherwise drop upon the floor, and retain it in position to be again taken hold of by the teeth of the cylinder as they pass over the same, and car ried around to the workers, the dust falling through the slats to the floor. This grate is made adjustable by means of slotted clips at one end and thumb-screws at the other, whereby it'may'b'e adjusted to or from the main cylinder.

When it is not desired to re-work the stock dropped from the main cylinder, the thumbscrews may be Withdrawn and the grate permitted to hang from the other end.

Referring to the drawings, A shows the frame of the machine, on which are mounted the several parts. B is the feeding-apron,constructed and arranged in the usual or any suitable manner. 0 0 show the drawing-rollers, arranged, hy means of their gearing, to move with increasing velocity as they approach the main cylinder, each top roller of course moving at the same rate of speed as the corresponding lower roller. The drawing-rollers are clothed with saw-teeth, and are so arranged that they intersect in pairs-4'. 0., the teeth on each upper roller intersect with the teeth on its fellow or adjacent lower roller. D D are the feed-rollers, mounted upon an adjustable stand, D by which they may be moved to and from the main cylinder, said stand having a slotted foot, through which passes a bolt to the frame A. On the same stand with the feed-rolls is a stripper, E, the teeth of which intersect, as shown, with those of the top feed-roll. The stripper and the feedroll with which it intersects are made adjustable laterally and vertically on the standby means of boxes and shoes, as described in my patent of November 26, 1872, while the-lower feed-roll is adjustable only with the stand. The feed-rollsand stripper are also clothed with saw-teeth, as shown, those on the lower roll being coarser and set more widelyapart than those on the upper roll in order to prevent binding of the stock. Instead of arrangin g the teeth on the stripper E, as heretoforethat is to say, pointing in the direction in which the roll revolvesI make them point in the opposite direction, as shown. Thus arranged, the stripper will clear the top feed-roll efl'ectually, will at the same time present a cardingsurface to the main cylinder, and will also be cleared by the feed-roll with which it intersects. F F are the workers,arranged in groups, each group consisting of two or more rolls havin g intersecting teeth of the same grade. The teeth of the first group are a grade finer than those of the upper feed-roll and its stripper, those of the second group finer than the first, and so on to the end of the series. The workers are mounted on an arch, F which is se- .curel y fastened, by screws or bolts, to the frame A. Sections of this arch with the workerbearings are shown in Fig, 8, where F represents the arch, on which is secured, by means shown, so as to allow the workers to be adjusted relatively to each other, and the boxes are also slotted to permit said rolls to be adjusted to and from the main cylinder. G is the fancy, H the dotfer-roller, and H the dofler-comb, all constructed and operating in the usual or any suitable manner. I is the main cylinder, clothed with saw-teeth cut in wire wound in a spiral groove, or in steel disks with iron collars or packing between. When this last-mentioned style of clothing is employed the cylinder is made in sections and arranged to contract and expand so as to facilitate the application and removal of the disks and packing. These sections-three or more in number-shown at 1 Figs. 9, 10, and 11, are secured at one end, by means of screws 6, to a head, 1 which is turned to a size. In order to form a hinge this screw is slightly withdrawn, thus giving play to the sections, and when the cylinder has been clothed the screw is turned fast. The sections are braced longitudinally by the arches i and are provided with the stays or supports t which surround the conical block H upon the shaft H, as shown. The cylinder having been duly contracted by turning the block H a suitable dis- 'tance, the rings and collars are placed upon it.

formed with projections or fingers i, which fit in spaces between similar fingers on the sections. Having filled this supplemental head with the rings and packing, Iplaceitupon the cylinder-shaft and move it into position, thus pressing the disks and packing firmly together, and then make it fast by atapering screw passa ing through its boss into the shaft. The whole series of rings and collars or packing is thus held firmly in place by the means j just de-.

scribed-viz., the stationary sized head, the

expanding cylinder sections,and thesupplementary sliding head. The expansion is for the purpose of fitting the rings and packing closely on the cylinder, while the stationary head prevents said rings and packing from being pushed off when the requisite pressure and 13, and is composed of two or more arches,

K, with intermediate slats K, between which the dust from the cylinder falls. This grate is swiveled or hinged at one end,.as shown.

in the clips k secured to the frame A, and made vertically adjustable by means of the screws k, which pass through the slots W. The grate may also be adjusted at its other end by means of the thumb-screws k, or it may be permitted to hang down by withdrawin g said thumb-screws, thus allowing the stock from the cylinder to fall upon the floor or into any suitable receptacle.

The operation of this machine is as follows: The material to be worked is laid upon the feed-apron and passed by said apron to the drawing-rollers, which draw it partially apart, so that as it passes from these rollers to the feed-rolls, and thence to the main cylinder, it will be in an open state, thus enabling the teeth of said cylinder to take hold of the fiber. The main cylinder works the material first upon the teeth of the upper feed-roll, while it is held back and prevented from slipping by the teeth of the lower-feed-roll; then across the carding-surface of the feed-roll stripper to the workers, the hard-twisted threads being thereby untwisted and the stock reduced to soft fiber. In this condition it is raised by the fancy, so that it may be more easily removed from the main cylinder by the dofier, from which it is stripped by a fast-running comb in an even sheet. Any stock not removed from the cylinder by the dolfer, and which would fall upon the floor if not intercepted, is caught by the grate and retained until picked up by the action of the main cylinder and passed to the workers.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for working woolen rags, hard waste, and other similar fibrous substances, a series of toothed drawingfrollers intersecting in pairs, and each succeedingpair so arranged asto clear their predecessors, subst-antially as and for the purpose described.

2. The arrangement of I the feed-rolls, as described, the lower roll having relatively coarse teeth and wide spaces between them,

and the upper roll finer teeth and narrower spaces, for the purpose specified.

3. "I he arrangement of the feed-roll stripper with its teeth pointing in the same direction as the teeth on the feed-roll which it clears and on the cylinder against which it works, substantially asspecified.

4. The described arrangement of workers, growing finer as they recede from the feedrolls, as and for the purpose described.

5. In a machine for working woolen rags, hard waste, and other similar fibrous substances, the arrangement of the workers so that their teeth will intersect for the purpose of clearing, as described.

6. The arrangement of the workers in groups of dit't'erent grades, for the purpose set forth.

7. The arrangement of the upper feed-roll and its stripper, and of the workers, with their teeth intersecting and pointing in the same direction as those on the main cylinder, so

sized head, the conical block for expanding v the cylinder, as described.

10. The supplementary sliding cylinderhead, constructed and arranged as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSIAH K. PROOTOR. Witnesses: 0. R. LINDSAY, M. DANL. GoNNoLLY. 

